And that’s just the greens! I’ve been working throughout 2009 to make bazoodles of green hexies. I had to after sending this one away to its new home in Australia. My original plan was to fill up a Cuties box. And however many hexies I ended up with would be what I had to use to put the quilt together. I want an organic asymmetry to balance the perfect symmetry of the hexagons. But I got hooked on cutting out Cia’s templates, and entirely too carried away by my piles and piles of green fabrics. I couldn’t stop. My Cuties box runneth over. So my husband, the organized one, gave them their marching orders. Much easier to count them!

But you know me, I felt sorry for the little creatures–they’re going to spend the rest of their lives in a prefect, orderly hive. I set them free one last time.

2010 is going to be the year of putting these little sweeties together. They will be joined by a select group of other colors. I shocked myself at how big this quilt has the potential to be. But then again, that’s how it goes for me. I always try to cram just one more different fabric (and just one more, I swear!) into a design. And before I realize it, my innocent little wall-hangings will fit on a queen-sized bed.

I also have one more big fabric shopping trip planned before the end of the year. I know that I’m going to want to cram a few more greens into the pile. I’ve made a deal with myself–I get to add more as long as the hexagons are made by New Year’s Day. Then the piecing begins! I swear!

This is what remains of what had been my favorite wedding gift from 21 years ago.

It was a cut-glass candy dish that one of my dad’s army buddies brought back from his service in Europe during World War II. He wrote the nicest letter to accompany the gift all about what my dad meant to him, and how he wanted to give me something that represented the connection between our families.

I’m not much of a pretty things on a shelf kind of person. I do love pretty things, but I like functional things–which is one of the reasons why quilting is so dear to me. The lovely candy dish was immediately conscripted into service as my safety pin holder, which I used faithfully as I pinned each and every quilt. I was always very aware of its precious nature, and it was a faithful reminder of my father.

All it took was one slip of my fingers. It bounced off a chair and smashed on the floor, sending shards of glass and safety pins flying across the hardwood. I think a few tears got mixed into the mess, too.

But I knew it was always a possibility. I guess I’d rather have enjoyed using it for 21 years, than have it sit on a shelf gathering dust for the rest of my life. Mr. L.V. “Pete” Mhoon, your gift may be broken, but it will never be forgotten.